Eodromaeus: Difference between revisions

Eodromaeus; Temporal range: Late Triassic, 232–229 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Size comparison between Eodromaeus and a human.
Scientific classification
Missing taxonomy template (fix):	Eodromaeus murphi

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Eodromaeus (meaning "dawn runner") is a genus of carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Late Triassic period. It is a basal theropod which lived during the late Triassic period (middle Carnian age, about 232–229 million years ago) in what is now Argentina. Eodromaeus was named by Ricardo N. Martinez, Paul C. Sereno, Oscar A. Alcober, Carina E. Colombi, Paul R. Renne, Isabel P. Montañez and Brian S. Currie in 2011 and the type species is Eodromaeus murphi.^[1] It has been cited by Sereno as resembling a supposed common ancestor to all dinosaurs, the "Eve" of the dinosaurs.^[2]

Discovery

Fossils from Eodromaeus was first discovered in 1996 by argentinean paleontologist Ricardo N. Martinez and Earthwatch volunteer Jim Murphy, and it was first believed that it was a new species of Eoraptor. However, as the researchers started to take a closer look at the fossils, they found that it had many skeletal features which were absent in Eoraptor.,^[3] and they understood that it came from a new genus.

Eodromaeus is known from the holotype PVSJ 560, a nearly complete articulated skeleton recovered from the Valle de la Luna Member of the top of the Ischigualasto Formation, and the referred materials PVSJ 534, PVSJ 561, PVSJ 562 and PVSJ 877 from Valle de la Luna, La Peña and Cancha de Bochas Members of Ischigualasto. The scientific name Eodromaeus comes from the Greek words Eos ("Dawn", "Early") and Dromaeus ("Runner"). The species name murphi is dervied from Jim Murphy, who used to work the area nearby where the fossils were found.

Description

Eodromaeus was a relatively small dinosaur, with a total length of about 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) from nose to tail, and a weight of about 5 kilograms (11 lb). The trunk was long and slender. It is unknown how fast Eodromaeus could run, but it has been suggested to about 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph).^[4] The forelimbs were much shorter than the hindlimbs, ending in hands with 5 digits. Digits IV and V (the ring finger and little finger in humans) were very reduced in size.

Phylogeny

Eodromaeus is regarded as an early member of theropoda, the group which includes the carnivorous dinosaurs. With the discovery of Eodromaeus, Eoraptor (which also has been regarded as a theropod) has been classified as a member of the sauropodomorpha, the group which includes animals like Apatosaurus. This has been questioned by Bergman and Sues, who have reclaimed Eoraptor as a theropod, like Eodromaeus.^[5]

Cladogram after Martinez et al., 2011:^[1]

	Eoraptor

	Panphagia

	Saturnalia

Sauropodiformes

Theropoda

	Herrerasaurus

	Staurikosaurus

Eodromaeus

Neotheropoda

Coelophysoidea

Tawa

Dilophosaurus

"Syntarsus" kayentakatae

	S. rhodesiensis

	Coelophysis

References

^ ^a ^b Ricardo N. Martinez, Paul C. Sereno, Oscar A. Alcober, Carina E. Colombi, Paul R. Renne, Isabel P. Montañez and Brian S. Currie (2011). "A Basal Dinosaur from the Dawn of the Dinosaur Era in Southwestern Pangaea". Science. 331 (6014): 206–210. doi:10.1126/science.1198467. PMID 21233386.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Bowdler N, "'Dawn runner casts light on birth of the dinosaurs", www.bbc.co.uk, 13-1-2011.
^ Choi T.Q., "Dinosaur Graveyard Reveals Oldest T. Rex Relative: Dawn Runner", www.FoxNews.com, 13-01-2011.
^ Cite error: The named reference usatoday_Eodromaeus was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Bergman D.S., Sues H-D. (2011), "A late-surviving basal theropod dinosaur from the latest Triassic of North America", Proceedings of the Royal Society B, publisched online 13-4-2011.

External links

[1] and [2] Images of Paul Sereno with Eodromaeus skeleton.
Eodromaeus skeleton.
Eodromaeus skull.
Video: “Video: Fast, "Nasty" Little Dinosaur Discovered.” National Geographic January 13, 2001.

[Martinez2011-1] Ricardo N. Martinez, Paul C. Sereno, Oscar A. Alcober, Carina E. Colombi, Paul R. Renne, Isabel P. Montañez and Brian S. Currie (2011). "A Basal Dinosaur from the Dawn of the Dinosaur Era in Southwestern Pangaea". Science. 331 (6014): 206–210. doi:10.1126/science.1198467. PMID 21233386.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[2] Bowdler N, "'Dawn runner casts light on birth of the dinosaurs", www.bbc.co.uk, 13-1-2011.

[Fox_Eodroma-3] Choi T.Q., "Dinosaur Graveyard Reveals Oldest T. Rex Relative: Dawn Runner", www.FoxNews.com, 13-01-2011.

[usatoday_Eodromaeus-4] Cite error: The named reference usatoday_Eodromaeus was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Daemonosaurus.2011.Sues&Bergman-5] Bergman D.S., Sues H-D. (2011), "A late-surviving basal theropod dinosaur from the latest Triassic of North America", Proceedings of the Royal Society B, publisched online 13-4-2011.

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 ==Discovery==
-Fossils from ''Eodromaeus'' was first discovered in 1996 by argentinean paleontologist Ricardo N. Martinez and Earthwatch volunteer Jim Murphy, and it was first believed that it was a new species of ''[[Eoraptor]]''. However, as the researchers  started to take a closer look at the fossils, they found that it had many skeletal features which were absent in ''Eoraptor''.,<ref name="Fox_Eodroma">Choi T.Q., [http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/13/dinosaur-graveyard-reveals-oldest-t-rex-relative/ "Dinosaur Graveyard Reveals Oldest ''T. Rex'' Relative: Dawn Runner"], ''www.FoxNews.com'', 13-01-2011.</ref> and he understood that it came from a new genus.
+Fossils from ''Eodromaeus'' was first discovered in 1996 by argentinean paleontologist Ricardo N. Martinez and Earthwatch volunteer Jim Murphy, and it was first believed that it was a new species of ''[[Eoraptor]]''. However, as the researchers  started to take a closer look at the fossils, they found that it had many skeletal features which were absent in ''Eoraptor''.,<ref name="Fox_Eodroma">Choi T.Q., [http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/13/dinosaur-graveyard-reveals-oldest-t-rex-relative/ "Dinosaur Graveyard Reveals Oldest ''T. Rex'' Relative: Dawn Runner"], ''www.FoxNews.com'', 13-01-2011.</ref> and they understood that it came from a new genus.
 ''Eodromaeus'' is known from the [[holotype]] PVSJ&nbsp;560, a nearly complete articulated [[skeleton]] recovered from the Valle de la Luna Member of the top of the [[Ischigualasto Formation]], and the referred materials PVSJ&nbsp;534, PVSJ&nbsp;561, PVSJ&nbsp;562 and PVSJ&nbsp;877 from Valle de la Luna, La Peña and Cancha de Bochas Members of Ischigualasto. The scientific name ''Eodromaeus'' comes from the Greek words ''Eos'' ("Dawn", "Early") and ''Dromaeus'' ("Runner"). The species name ''murphi'' is dervied from [[Jim Murphy]], who used to work the area nearby where the fossils were found.